Night vision monocular

As a parting gift for my retirement, I got a gift catalogue from my employer with lots of options to choose from. I chose a Bushnell Night Vision Monocular, but don't know much about them. But, since it was a gift, it costs me nothing to try it. Do any of you out there no anything about them?

No. The only monoculars I've used were PVS-14's or the civilian equivalent (the one that had the automatic gain control -- forgot the model number.)

Do you have a link?

Sniper66

December 26, 2012, 05:25 PM

Here's the link that looks like the one I ordered, but I have no model number.

http://shopbushnell.com/detail/BSN+260224

Alec

December 26, 2012, 05:32 PM

The linked monocular is not "true" night vision, it uses a CMOS sensor that is sensitive to IR (as opposed to an intensifier tube) . It likely has an IR illuminator built in.

Most inexpensive units are Gen 1 or CMOS. I have never used the CMOS based NV but I can say that I find Gen 1 to be a waste of time and money.

Aleksandr

December 27, 2012, 05:28 AM

check here perhaps u find something 4 u

http://www.atncorp.com/night-vision-monoculars

Double Naught Spy

December 27, 2012, 08:15 AM

Most inexpensive units are Gen 1 or CMOS. I have never used the CMOS based NV but I can say that I find Gen 1 to be a waste of time and money.

Ah, most people who think Gen 1 is a waste of money are folks who don't understand how to use Gen 1. Generally speaking, except for full moon nights, Gen 1 needs the benefit of proper supplemental illumination. With supplemental IR, Gen 1 can be fine, depending on a variety of parameters. For example, I hunt with a Gen 1+ 3x rifle scope with a large front objective lens and supplemental IR and do very well with it. I can identify deer and hogs at 200 yards on a moonless night. That is more than sufficient for my hunting needs.

CMOS is digital technology that you can also find used in security cameras. Once again, most require a form of supplemental IR illumination to be most effective. The nice thing about such technology over regular "true" night vision is that regular "true" night vision tubes have a much more limited life of a few thousand hours (more hours for higher generation, however) and sensitivity can decline with use over time and damage brought about by exposure to bright light. That is why you don't have to put the lens cap back on your day/night security cameras during the daytime.

The Pulsar N550 Digisight is a CMOS type sight and is equivalent to Gen 2+ or better (depending on the evaluation given). So being CMOS is not necessarily a bad thing. You can have very good CMOS night vision and CMOS isn't fragile compared to regular "true" night vision when you are talking about damage from bright light. I can daylight hunt with my Digisight and not worry about damaging the electronics.

With that said and given the small objective lens on the Bushell from the OP, the Bushnell is going to be a fairly limited capability NV scope. Given actual retail is now $159-189 (versus msrp), you should not expect too much. Amazon reviews indicate it to be a fairly capable short range Gen 1-like NV device that with the IR on, you can see things like dogs out to 100 yards, but blurry. One description mentioned it being great for things like camping or caving and for short range needs, it is probably great for that.

Most of the folks reviewing the scope seemed to have wanted to get a full blown Gen III+ enhanced NV device for pocket change, probably like what they have seen being shown by news crews in war zone areas, with nice capabilities out quite some distance or maybe even high dollar thermal qualities. That isn't going to happen. It is simply a short range sub $200 low light optic and it is apparently a reasonable low light optic within its indicated capabilities.

modarmory

January 9, 2013, 06:41 PM

Current night vision from ITT or L3 (Generation 3, Pinnacle or OMNI VIII) has a guarantee of 10,000 hours of life not a few thousand hours. We repair night vision and to date have not had a repair in result to a tube going bad because of too many hours.

Most damage occurs from dropping or battery corrosion.

What is unfortunate is that all night vision is not made alike. One can have two different PVS-14's both state "Generation 3" and the performance would be different because of the specifications. Night Vision tubes are like diamonds, they are all different.

For instance if the system has a 64 lp/mm that is equivalent to having 20/20 vision.
We have seen generation 3 systems with a 57 lp/mm and just browsing different generation 1 systems the lp/mm can be 40.

To directly answer the OP's question: we do not have experience with the Bushnell Monocular.

Sniper66

January 10, 2013, 08:46 AM

Thank you all for the valuable feedback. I now have the monocular and have tried it by standing in the backyard. Since it was 15 degrees with the wind blowing, I didn't stay out long, but it seems to work well. I am eager to try it in the field when I get some time. Thanks again. Tom